The donated furniture from Asset 360 is being shared by Salesian programs across Haiti. Salesian-run educational institutions in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital city, bring homeless children in off the streets and provide them with food, clothing, shelter and education. These schools then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of small economic initiatives.

In addition to schools, there are Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers throughout the country. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in the cities of Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“Salesians in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Partnerships like those with Asset 360 help us to provide much needed supplies for our programs. Students find it easier to concentrate on their studies in a structured environment and the donated desks and chairs make that possible.”

Bedroom furniture such as beds and dressers were donated to Salesian students. The new furniture has given many a sense of dignity, especially those who have never had their own bed or dresser before.

“This is like a dream for me because where I was on the street before I never thought that one day I would have a bed for myself like rich people,” says a young student at the Salesian-run Lakay shelter and educational program in Port-au-Prince.

The shipment of furniture was the first of several donations provided by Asset 360 and coordinated by Salesian Missions. Salesian programs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will also receive shipments of donated furniture.

“This was a unique project at Bowling Green State University, in that multiple facilities were involved in the removal project on campus and multiple destinations were targeted for the shipments through Salesian Missions,” says Mark Berry, president of Asset 360. “Coordinating all of these moving parts was the challenge that we faced, and the campus community at BGSU could not have been more satisfied with the outcome.”

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day, and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank. Haiti continues to have significant needs in education, healthcare and nutrition.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong education for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

ABOUT ASSET 360

ASSET 360 is an environmental services company specializing in the responsible repurposing of no longer needed surplus materials from a wide variety of clients. Any private organization or public institution generating surplus furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies is paired with Asset 360’s extensive network of humanitarian relief organizations whose mission it is to provide relief supplies to needy communities here in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Asset 360 staff have shipped more than 3,000 shipping containers to over 40 countries, accounting for more than 45 million pounds of materials diverted away from already over-burdened landfills. Asset 360 clients realize significant financial, social and environmental benefits through the use of this surplus reuse program.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in some of the poorest places on the planet. The nearly 30,000 Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters—all dedicated to caring for poor children around the globe in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical training. Additionally, more than 1 million children attend Salesian primary schools, many of which are UNICEF-supported. Millions of vulnerable youth have received services specifically funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion.

The post HAITI: More than 700 Students Have Access to School and Bedroom Furniture Thanks to Salesian Missions Partnership with Asset 360 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. Despite these advances, poverty is still a major barrier in Haiti with more than 50 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 per day, according to UNICEF.

In July, continuing their efforts in the country, the Salesians sent four physical education teachers from Brazil to Haiti. The teachers are part of RSE, the Network of Salesian Schools in Brazil, which is the largest Catholic teaching network on the American continent and includes close to 5,000 teachers and 85,000 students at all levels. The new project being brought to Haiti is focused on imparting sporting and academic skills for both Salesian students and local youth receiving social services from the Salesians.

“This project is more than just an act of social solidarity,” says Sister Adair Sberga FMA, coordinator of the project. “It is the gift of life. There is an enthusiasm, a desire and a motivating force which is contagious. It affects not only the teachers involved but all those who are contributing to the project.”

Focusing on youth between five and 18 years of age, the initiative uses sports to aid in the students’ overall development. Students can take part in recreational activities such as treasure hunts, play educational games, learn sports and take part in workshops. In addition, youth will be taught soccer and volleyball, activities enjoyed throughout Brazil.

Sports programs teach valuable skills to youth both on and off the field. They offer unlimited opportunities for growth by simultaneously developing leadership, teamwork and social skills.

The teachers will bring with them all of the clothing and sports equipment necessary for the program. These materials were acquired with the help of several schools within the Salesian network in São Paolo, which held competitions and fundraising campaigns in an effort to make the project a success.

“Our intention is to introduce the young people to sport though activities that have a recreational dimension but also an affective, cognitive and spiritual aspect,” adds Sr. Sberga.

This Salesian program is just one among many in Haiti. Earlier this year, Lakay, a Salesian-run trade school that teaches street youth carpentry, cabinetry and electrical and tailoring skills, reopened with a new building featuring 16 classrooms in addition to workshops, washrooms, offices, storage areas, covered walkways and a shaded outdoor space.

Schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong education for poor youth, teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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PHOTO: Martin Diggs / Salesian Missions

Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Teachers without frontiers: a project in solidarity with Haiti

UNICEF – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Educators from Brazil Bring New Sports Program to Youth in Haiti first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Proving meals to needy children does more than just feed them.

In Haiti, feeding hungry children is often the first step in providing an education. Children who initially come to be fed become engaged in school activities. They are also prepared to learn. At Salesian schools in Haiti, feeding programs are in operation and supporting efforts to rebuild the community. Thousands of students receive daily breakfast of a cup of milk and bread.

The Lakay program is just one of many Salesian-run programs in Port-au-Prince and throughout Haiti. From homeless shelters for youth to the renowned National School of the Arts and Trade—and even an agriculture school—the work is centered around providing hope and opportunity to those who need it most.

At every Salesian-run program serving youth in Haiti, students not only receive educational opportunities and the support of caring adults, they also receive a nutritious meal daily. The Salesians are an integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti. Salesian Missions—the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco—also plays an important role in making sure aid gets to its destination country and into the hands of those who need it most.

Ensuring aid reaches its destination

Because the Salesians have been serving Haiti for 75 years, they are trusted members of local communities and as a result are very successful in the delivery and distribution of aid. The meals provided by Stop Hunger Now were able to reach their destination because of the logistics management provided by Salesian Missions, which pays for and arranges the shipping of freight containers. When donated goods are sent abroad Salesian Missions tracks the entire process, monitoring and evaluating each shipment to ensure compliance with donors’ intentions.

ABOUT STOP HUNGER NOW

Established in 1998, Stop Hunger Now is an international relief organization headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. Its mission is to provide food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable and create a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources. Stop Hunger Now currently conducts its successful meal packaging program in 13 cities throughout the United States and three locations in South Africa. More than 150,000 volunteers have packaged 65 million meals to support school feeding programs and provide disaster relief. In 2012, Stop Hunger Now will expand its services to two new locations in the United States, Northern California and Boston, and also into Malaysia.

The post Stop Hunger Now Meals Reach Haiti Thanks to Salesian Missions Partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.